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Chris Ganly

What's up in Newtown?

I've posted on a number of things in Newtown in the past years so today I thought I'd provide an update on some things that have caught my eye on my travels of late.


Geelong College


Now, as many of you will know my first book was on gold mining right here in Newtown. If I didn't know better I'd be tempted to think that Geelong College was mining for gold right there inside the school grounds. The hole that they are excavating on the Claremont Avenue side of the school is enormous. I can promise them that they will not find gold in it!


But that's not what they are doing, no they are in the "arms race" with the rest of the APS schools, and this is the start of the new Sports and Wellness centre. As part of the exercise they've also moved two houses that were located on either side of the entry on Claremont Avenue. One has gone to Noble Street, immediately to the east of Mossgiel House. The other has been moved south from where it was and now sits to the rear of Mackie boarding house.


From the College's website at: https://www.tgc.vic.edu.au/bellerin-campaign

Why a Sports and Wellbeing Centre?
In the Waddawarrung language Bellerin means shine and this outstanding facility will be a place for Geelong College students to shine, in sport, and in life. Our vision is to define a sporting precinct at the Western edge of the campus. Bellerin will be a state-of-the-art learning and sports space that comprises a double court gymnasium, elite training facility and event space overlooking Mackie Oval. It will host sports training, APS and other competition, school events and additional learning spaces. Bellerin will be used by the broader College community and become another extraordinary place for school gatherings.
Car parking and storage facilities will be underground, and the gradient of the slope allows a significant footprint that sits in concert with the campus among landscaped gardens.
The project also encompasses the formalisation of the streetscape on Claremont Avenue, moving two heritage houses to open the entrance to Mackie House. Both houses will be relocated on College grounds and will be used for a new medical centre and as an expansion of Mossgiel House. By positioning the new facility at the edge of the campus we allow for long-term growth at its centre for a new library and learning centre. It also enables the existing gym to continue operation during the construction phase.




Bareena Post Office


For some, no doubt historical reasons, there are two post offices in Newtown. The main one is at 342 Pakington Street, near Sharp Street. But there's a second one. Well, there was until four weeks ago when it was closed forever. It was known as the Bareena Post Office and it was on the corner of Retreat Road and Pleasant Street. It closed at 12pm on Saturday, 21 May 2022.


Going to this Post Office was always a bit like going back in time. It was definitely more convenient to get to as parking there is a bit easier than Pakington Street but to be honest I could never figure why or how some parcels, etc. ended here and some at Newtown. Other than posting something or collecting a parcel, the shop looked to have less and less in it every time I went.


They've removed all of the signs and just recently they took the post boxes out of the wall and put new weatherboards in place. Today I noticed that it's up for auction in a few weeks. In time it will be one of those locations "that used to be the... ."



Armytage House (The Hermitage)


Five years ago I posted on this magnificent mansion in Pakington Street. (See: https://chrisganly.wixsite.com/author/post/2017/05/09/new-town)


At the time I noted the state of the grounds and that I'd thought someone might renovate, but hadn't. Well, they have. In fact they have been at it for some time now and it is looking superb. Not just the works on the house, which seem to have gone on for quite a while, but also the works in the large grounds. Today I noted the beginnings of cobblestones going down at the entry. Pretty soon this property will be returned to the grandeur it once had.



Strathcona


Strathcona stands at 2-4 Ascot Street, on the corner of Mercer Parade. This house, said to be c.1900, was, until a couple of years ago, in pretty ordinary state. Today, you would not recognise it. The new owners have made this into one of the must stunning properties in the area, an absolute credit to them.


The property used to have a Noble Street address at 112, and I am told that there was an orchard and tennis court on it in the distant path. Noble Street is no longer the address because in 2010, the bottom two allotments, six and eight, were sold off, both have houses on them, and 2 - 4 remained with Strathcona.


Rannoch House


In the same post where I covered Armytage House I also wrote about Rannoch House. The news here is that this is on the market and has been for a while now.



Bostock House


You find Boctock House at 139 Noble Street. It's the Early Learning Centre for Geelong Grammar. It's definitely in enemy territory as it's diagonally opposite the Geelong College Senior School.


From the Schools website:

The Geelong Church of England Grammar Preparatory School was established in Aberdeen Street, Newtown, in 1924.
Thomas E Bostock (1863–1922), after whom the school was named following its acquisition by Geelong Grammar School in 1933, was Mayor of Geelong from 1905 to 1908, founded the Barwon Heads Golf Club in 1907, and became a member of the Geelong Grammar School Council in 1909.
Bostock House outgrew its Aberdeen Street location and moved to farming land beyond Highton on the slopes of the Barrabool Hills in 1962, where it shared a site with The Hermitage (Geelong Church of England Girls Grammar School) and Marcus Oldham Farm Management College, becoming known as Highton Campus.
In 1998, following the closure of the Highton Campus and the expansion of the Middle School at Corio to include Years 5 and 6, the Geelong primary campus up to Year 4 relocated to its current location in Newtown at 139 Noble Street, and was renamed Bostock House.
The heritage-listed building was erected in 1916 as a residence for Edward G Gurr, Mayor of Geelong, and from 1954 to 1994 housed a private primary school, St Andrew’s.

So why am I telling you this, you ask?


Because in March 2022, Geelong Grammar announced that they would be moving their primary school to a new purpose built facility at Corio. The Newtown property will be sold off. Watch this space!



Well that's it for now. Have fun out there.


Chris


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